McGraw Tower is set to be free of scaffolding by commencement weekend, according to a University administrator.
Scaffolding and construction have marred campus landmark McGraw Tower — the clock tower at the northern end of Ho Plaza — for nearly two years. Cornell initiated the replacement of the tower’s pyramidal roof in July 2023, originally anticipating completion by last November.
Now, about half a year after the first estimated completion date, Andrew Magre, associate vice president of Engineering and Project Administration, wrote in a statement to The Sun that the construction is “approximately 90 percent complete.”
Magre projected that the tower’s roof work would be finished by Wednesday and the scaffolding completely removed by May 20.
“Our expectation is that the scaffolding will be removed before Commencement weekend; however, this is contingent on weather conditions,” Magre wrote.
Commencement weekend will take place from May 23 to May 25. Families and friends of graduating seniors travel to Ithaca during this weekend to celebrate and explore campus. As one of the most recognizable structures on campus, McGraw Tower typically serves as a hotspot for graduation photos.
Last year’s seniors, the class of 2024, lamented the clock tower’s construction. A main concern was that the obstructed clock tower provided a less visually appealing backdrop for graduation photos than its unobstructed version.
For this year’s graduating seniors, the completion of construction on McGraw Tower is exciting.
"It’s so nice to have the construction of McGraw Tower done before the commencement weekend,” said Weidai Sun ’25. She hopes to take graduation photos in front of the tower and tour the inside with her loved ones when they visit.
Angelina Tang is a freshman in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is an Assistant News Editor for the 143rd editorial board. She can be reached at atang@cornellsun.com.

Varsha Bhargava is a news editor for the 143rd Editorial Board and a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She can be reached at vbhargava@cornellsun.com.